The US’s border crisis is escalating but it doesn’t have to be this way.
When South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem recently warned on Fox News that “we will be Europe within a year or two” if Joe Biden remains president, many took the opportunity to make light-hearted jabs about the U.S. potentially embracing longer life expectancy, universal healthcare, or extended summer vacations.
However, Noem’s warning wasn’t about these benefits. She was actually referring to what she sees as the growing number of people crossing the U.S. southern border to seek asylum, which she described as an “invasion of our country.” This comment highlighted the ongoing debate in the U.S. over the handling of its border crisis, a situation that has grown increasingly urgent as migrant numbers continue to rise.
Noem’s statement calls attention to a key issue that has also plagued Europe over the past decade: how to manage large-scale migration in a way that is both humane and manageable. Europe’s response to the migration crisis has been widely criticized for being inefficient and, at times, cruel. As tens of thousands of refugees fled war and instability in regions like the Middle East and North Africa, European countries were overwhelmed and unable to coordinate a comprehensive response.
The U.S. now faces a similar crisis, with millions of migrants trying to cross its southern border. However, the approach taken by the U.S. so far has not been notably more effective or compassionate than Europe’s. The challenge for President Biden is to avoid the mistakes Europe made, both in terms of border control and in providing adequate support to the migrants themselves.
Biden’s administration has already faced criticism over its handling of the surge in migrants. The U.S. response has involved a combination of restrictive measures and attempts to establish new, more sustainable immigration policies. However, the rising numbers of asylum seekers and the lack of an integrated strategy have led to a situation where migrant camps and overcrowded detention centers are becoming a defining image of America’s border crisis.
To avoid Europe’s mistakes, Biden must focus on addressing the root causes of migration—poverty, conflict, and climate change—while also ensuring better coordination with international partners. Europe’s experience can serve as a cautionary tale, urging the U.S. to adopt a more proactive, cooperative, and humane approach to its own immigration challenges.
Ultimately, while the migration crisis may seem intractable, the lessons from Europe’s past mistakes suggest that it is possible to find a way forward. With the right policies, it doesn’t have to be a choice between national security and human rights. Biden has the opportunity to chart a course that avoids the pitfalls that Europe encountered, ensuring that the U.S. response is both effective and compassionate.